Has anyone ever sent you an email that stands out from the rest of the mails due to its uniqueness? The mail might be from a friend or colleague, and the subject matter may be personal, work-related, or even a funny joke. Well, the matter worth consideration here is what characteristic of the e-mail made that stand out compared to any other e-mails you receive for the entire day?
What could it be? – The subject line might be unique or strange or unorthodox, the very first line of the e-mail might be personalized to catch your attention – it could be anything.
These are some of the tactics or strategies that are used by professional email marketers. Such tactics can be used to your benefit as well by pitching to the media.
Media Pitching
This term may lose its significance if used too much in the press release or marketing industry. It is mentioned so much in the current scenario that it feels like the media is made of people who do not carry its true identity. Well, this fact is not at all true; journalists or editors are flesh and blood.
Journalists do go through their email inbox every day as much as we do – they check the names of the people who sent them emails and only read those that seem interesting enough or urgent.
The question here is to how make your media pitch stand out among the competitors?
The Standard Approach
Sending pitches to journalists/editors still prevails in the marketing strategies of many companies. And, it certainly brings in results. If you have drafted the media pitch perfectly and the content of the pitch is engaging, then the media is bound to pay attention to it.
Such marketing campaigns might not be beneficial if the subject matter is not interesting enough to get picked up by journalists. For such reasons, it is always better to follow the standard approach.
The Key Components
The Subject Line
There are various options to choose from when it comes to putting a subject line. But, you must always go for the one that feels like written by an actual human and not generated by the system. Journalists receive spam messages all the time, so you have to ensure that the subject line that you are going to use, is different compared to those emails. One of the most impactful scenarios here is putting your name and the journalist’s name in the subject line.
Well, for instance, you can use something like this - ABCD Reporter Stan Joe's contact request from Will Carlston. This is short and crisp, and it reflects that you are well-aware of the workplace of the reporter. Focusing on such small details can turn out to be big for you.
The First Sentence
The first sentence must strictly be professional, and on the other hand, it should feel real. It must never sound like sent by a robot. It should also not sound arrogant, as it might backfire. The journalist will read the first sentence attentively, so it has to be something that can keep him engaged. It is suggested that you must start the sentence by mentioning the first name of the journalist in order to build a more personal connection with him/her. Using the last time does sound professional, yet it might sound a bit cold. Then you can proceed to introduce yourself and strengthen the connection to the field that the journalist covers. If you are the head of an organization, then sound like so, and present yourself as someone involved deeply in the industry.
Well, for example:
Hello Stan,
I am Will Carlston, and I have been a core member of the national import and export industry for the last 8 years as the CEO of The Delexperts, New York.
Through this sentence, it was clearly established who the sender was, why he got in touch with the journalist, and where his business is located. All the necessary information has been provided here.
The Homework
In simple words, you have to conduct strong research before sending a customized pitch to a journalist. Don’t just sit to write down an email like any other message; take your time to browse through the work profile of the journalist. Connect the dots from the perspective of the journalist and draw it to your story. This is important as it will ensure that your pitch is authentic and personalized, rather than any other normal message that the journalist receives.
Well, for example:
Recently it came to my notice that you have covered the recent saturation of the import-export industry, and I was amazed to see how efficiently you showcased the importance of more investment and support needed for its growth. As a businessman who has been working in this industry for quite a long time now, I know how important it is for the investors and stakeholders to participate through more investment. That’s why I feel the recent changes made in the national trade agreement will bring in something good to the table for everyone in the near future.
Through such a message, you will be able to showcase that you have conducted research on his work, build a connection, and explore a side of the industry, in which the journalist is interested. This will make the journalist’s job a lot easier, the chances of getting picked up by the journalist will jump up.
Contact Details
This is one of the easiest components of the email; however, it might turn out to be the most significant one out of all the mentioned key points. Suppose, you are ready with a great pitch, including all the things that are needed to catch the attention of the journalist, but if you have forgotten to include your contact details – well, you may have ruined all the efforts, as the chances of getting picked will get reduced due to this. You must always include your contact details in a media pitch – phone number, email id, official website address, and certainly the name of the company.
These efforts go a long way in terms of industrial benefits. So, do not shy away from being a little personal while creating a media pitch.
